It is said that prior planning saves poor performance. In an organization, it is critical for the trainer or consultant to identify the skills and knowledge that employees possess for paramount productivity and then assess where the gap is and what should be done about it. Time management has been related to work effectiveness, job satisfaction, and productivity. The aim of this article is to analyze essential time management techniques that should be trained. Ultimately, self-discipline and conscientiousness are the key factors that an individual requires for effective time management.
Prioritization
Focusing on the tasks and duties of prime concern before completing ones with lower concern reduces work overload hence contributing to the desired work output. Organizations should develop prioritization matrices that assist in sorting work in order of importance. For effective stress management, productivity and meeting of deadlines, various techniques of prioritization are put in place. The ABC categorization, which is the most common, aids in organizing work into three classifications:
- A- Most Important tasks with high urgency
- B- Important with minimal urgency
- C- Not important and not urgent
Prioritization is also essential in work elimination. It identifies work that would otherwise be gratuitous and time consumptive.
Delegation
Successful delegation requires fundamentally assessing skills and abilities of employees before assigning tasks. Improve delegation to improve time management. Delegation facilitates effective and speedy completion of tasks since duties are assigned to different individuals according to their areas of strength. Delegation is also associated with personal development, empowerment and leadership skills. All these skills are essential in time management by improving efficiency and effectiveness. When managers delegate work in organizations, there is a reduction in work overload consequently directing their energy towards issues of concern.
Communication
Communication is the foundation of all relationships. Like Brian Holmes, the CEO of SolidEssay quoted, “in many ways, effective communication begins with mutual respect, communication that inspires, encourages others to do their best’. Effective communication within an organization generally affects time management. Technology, since the late 1990s has enabled passage of information through emails. This communication is vital in reducing barriers within the workforce. Clearly communicating assignments and tasks to the concerned workforce is a stepping-stone towards achieving specified organizational goals. By building supportive associations within the workplace, work is done effectively and at a brisk speed.
Minimizing interruptions
According to Susan Peters, a business writer at The Balance, this is a technique that would ensure that tasks are executed uninterrupted, and as Susan explains, it is critical to ensure that all the important tasks have been scheduled properly. This can be achieved by, first, identifying the activities that tend to be disruptive, and after identifying these activities, a solution should be devised. There are a number of activities, in most contexts, that tend to be disruptive, and they include answering phone calls or checking emails when doing something important at the same time. This tends to break the workflow, and in most cases, it is difficult to re-establish the workflow. This technique involves working on a task single-mindedly to its completion.
Stopping procrastination
This technique can be executed by setting deadlines and ensuring that everything is done towards keeping this deadline. By creating a commitment and a time constraint and working within this timeframe would minimize the tendency to procrastinate, and as such, lead to effective time management. Setting a deadline and working on it goes a long way in ensuring that a given task is not rescheduled to a later date or is delayed altogether.
In general, time is an essential resource that is critical to the day-to-day activities. Intrinsic motivation is especially required to perform duties efficaciously. The success of any business relies solely on the effort that the workforce takes to attain the organization’s objectives. Constantly training employees on the importance of time management and the respective techniques they should apply to enhance productivity will eventually lead to timely service delivery.
Author bio:
Paul Bates specializes on business management and marketing. He works as a consultant at ConfidentWriters. He is a highly motivated and results-driven individual always seeking new opportunities.
